Wind on the water: Report shows Arenac County waters to be practical for offshore wind power

Posted
9/4/09

ARENAC COUNTY — Due to the depth of the water in the Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron near Arenac County could serve as a site for offshore wind turbines.

According to a Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council Report summary by the Michigan Township Association, “20 percent--or 7,874 square miles of the 38,000 square miles--of state-owned Great Lakes bottomlands has a depth of 30 meters or less, which is practicable for offshore wind development.”

Included in that 7,874 miles are zones in the Saginaw Bay that are roughly 10-20 miles off the shoreline of Arenac County, according to a map in the wind council report.